The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-08-13
A sHUPERoNE." ;"


 society by drinking pint of burning tar and then picking up the captain of a fiat boat and throwing him into the river, had an engagement the other night to take Caroline Peters to the circus. Carrie is very hand some girl, and, as her parents are of direct African descent, she is much inclined toward "brunettism." Jim first met her at funeral, whither she had gone to take part in the cere- monies of the eternal setting out using a Kentucky tobacco planters phrase-of her uncle, who had com- mitted unpremeditated suicide while intoxicated by eating a gourd under the impression that it was a water melon. The girl, on this occasion, conducted herself with such propri- ety and ate parched corn with such vigor of that "cronch" which il- illustrates strength of jaw, that Jim gave her his sound and manly love.
 When Jim called the other night, he was very much surprised when Carries mother came into the room and seated herself beside the young woman.
 'Look yare, old lady," said Jim, "is yer done got through wid all yer work?"
 "Yas, I thanks yer"
 "Got nothin' mo- ter do?"
 "No, l thanks yer"
 "Wall, er-w-w-W Whut yer want in yare? l came yare ter see dis young an bloomin' pusson an ter take her ter de show"
 "Yas, l knows dat" the old woman replied, "an' I hab come in yare ter shuperone dis bloomin' lady. Ca sion'ly, Mr. Jim, we finds suthin' bout de white folks dat is wuth fol- lerin' by de cullud people, an' I hab 'cluded ter foller de shuperone plan; so ef yer wants ter talk ter de lady, talk'ter de lady, but I'se gwine ter set right yare an listen."
 wy, oman, I come ter take de gal ter de show"
 "Cose yer hab, an yer ken take her, but un'er dis shuperone law dat de white folks hab done passed, it is my bizniss ter go Tong wid her."
 "Wall, but who gwine ter shuper- one 'yerse'f?"
 My husban' is also gwine," the woman replied.
 "Ah, hah, but who pays fur all dis?"
 "W'y, yerse'f do, O cose !" the young lady's mother exclaimed. Ws it pos sible dat yer ain't no better 'quainted wid p'lite s'ciety den ter ax sich CT question? Look yare, man, eff yer goes roun' de country talkin' diser way, folks will sholy think yer ig- nunt; da will, fur CT fack."
 Jim rubbed his head rehectively. His great desire to accompany the girl and his extreme dislike of parting with two dollars extra were engaged in struggle.
 "Come in, Eph," said the old woman to her husband, who appeared at the door, "comc in, fur we'se gwine ter de show putty soon."
 Eph came in, nodded at Jim, parted the tails of bis well-worn black coat and sat down.
 "Wall, folks," said Jim, when his love for the girl seemed to have broken the ties which bound him to his few dollars, "git ready an we'll go, but femme tell yer, I doan like dis yare blame shuperone idee. Peers like de white folks allus gittin' up some scheme ter beat CT nigger outen money. Reckon yer'll let me walk wid de lady"
 "Yas, jis' in front O me an Eph," the old woman replied.
 They set out for the show grounds and had gone some distance when Jim, glancing back, yielded to an exclama- tion of suspicion, if not of distress. Four boys and two girls, as he after- wards expressed it, were tagging" after the husband and wife.
 "What do all dis crowd mean," Jim asked.
 "Dese is our chillun," the old wo- man replied.
 "Whar da gwine?"
 "Ter de show"
 "Who wid?"
 "Wid us." .t '"'s
 "Who gwine pay dar way?"
 "W'y, man," said the old woman, "is it possible dat yer doan' un'erstan' dat shuperone law no better den dis? Dis is de way it is: Daughter she kain't go widout me, kain't go wid- out Eph, an Eph he is 'blige ter take de chillun, cage da kain't stay by dar- selves"
 My greshus, 'oman, dis we're squirt gwine ter take all de money I'se made in CT munt, so b'leve dat I'll peal dat law right yare. I ken, on CT pinch, stan de grown folks, but wen yer filings in de chillun, wy, all de stranth goes outen my knees right